The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling a relationship between at least one monitoring display and a plurality of cameras, and a monitoring device comprising a camera controller and a display controller.
In a prior art monitoring device, a picture taken by a camera is recorded onto a video tape so that the picture recorded on the video tape is reproduced when an abnormal condition recorded on the picture needs to be inspected in detail.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling a relationship between at least one monitoring display and a plurality of cameras, and a monitoring device including controllers for the display and cameras, by which apparatus and device at least one of a condition data of the at least one of the cameras while taking the picture and a condition data of the display while showing the picture is reproduced while a recorded picture is reproduced to be inspected in detail so that a correspondence between the picture and the condition data obtained when taking the picture is knowable to be also inspected.
In an apparatus for setting, that is, connecting an electric relationship among at least one display, a plurality of cameras and a picture recorder so that a picture taken by at least one of the cameras is shown on the display to be monitored by an operator and is recorded in the picture recorder, according to the present invention, since the apparatus comprises a condition data recording controller adapted to control a recording of at least one of a condition data of the at least one of the cameras while taking the picture and a condition data of the display while showing the picture, into a condition data memory device such as a fixed memory device fixed in the apparatus or a removable memory device removable from the apparatus, the condition data is readable from the condition data memory device when the recorded picture is reproduced so that the correspondence between the picture and the condition data obtained when taking the picture is knowable to be inspected.
The condition data of the at least one of the cameras while taking the picture may include at least one of a data corresponding to, that is, identifying a position of the at least one of the cameras taking the picture, a data corresponding to, that is, identifying a focussing direction in which the at least one of the cameras is directed and focussed to take the picture, a data corresponding to, that is, identifying a focal distance of the at least one of the cameras, a data corresponding to, that is, identifying a zooming degree of the at least one of the cameras, and a data corresponding to, that is identifying an exposure degree of the at least one of the cameras.
The condition data of the display while showing the picture may include at least one of a data corresponding to, that is, identifying which of the cameras is selected as the at least one of the cameras to take the picture, a data corresponding to, that is, identifying who is the operator monitoring the picture and a data corresponding to, that is, identifying by what device an alarm signal is originally generated. Who is the operator monitoring the picture may be inputted into the below mentioned matrix switcher as an ID code.
When the apparatus comprises a plurality of the displays, the condition data of the display while showing the picture may include at least one of a data corresponding to, that is, identifying which of the cameras is selected as the at least one of the cameras to take the picture to be shown on each of the displays and a data corresponding to, that is, identifying who is the operator monitoring the picture shown on each of the displays.
When a plurality of the condition data obtained in accordance with a proceeding of the time are recorded in the condition data memory device and a plurality of the pictures (including a moving picture, such as video picture) obtained in accordance with the proceeding of the time are recorded in the picture recorder, a data corresponding to, that is, identifying the proceeding of the time along which the condition data and the pictures are obtained is recorded in each of the condition data memory device and the picture recorder so that a harmonization or clear correspondence in reading out or reproducing the condition data and the pictures thereamong is achieved. When a data corresponding to, that is, identifying the time at which the condition data is obtained is recorded in the condition data memory device, and a data corresponding to, that is, identifying the time at which the picture is obtained is recorded in the picture recorder, a correspondence between the condition data and the picture is clearly knowable.
At least one of the position of the at least one of the cameras taking the picture, the focussing direction in which the at least one of the cameras is directed and focussed to take the picture, and the zooming degree of the at least one of the cameras may be controlled on the basis of, that is, along with a predetermined control instruction by the apparatus while a recording of a data corresponding to, that is, identifying it (controlled one, or the at least one of the position of the at least one of the cameras, the focussing direction, and the zooming degree) is controlled or performed by the condition data recording controller.
At least one of the cameras may be selected to take the picture on the basis of a predetermined control instruction while a recording of a data corresponding to, that is, identifying the selected at least one of the cameras as the condition data into the condition data memory device is controlled or performed by the condition data recording controller. The predetermined control instruction (including a set of sequential control instructions for the display(s) and/or the cameras) may be set and recorded in the below mentioned matrix switcher or may be supplied from another control device other than the apparatus.
The recorded condition data may be read out from the condition data memory device while the picture is reproduced from the picture recorder so that a correspondence between the picture and the condition data is knowable to be clearly inspected in detail.
At least one of a picture recording start, a change from an intermittent picture recording with a relatively long time no-recording period between subsequent recordings of the pictures to a continuous picture recording with a relatively short no-recording time period or without no-recording time period between the subsequent recordings of the pictures and a change from a relatively low recording density to a relatively high recording density, of the picture recorder may be triggered by an alarm signal caused by at least one of a motion shown in the picture, a sensor""s detection of a change in a place to be monitored and an emergency signal from an outside of the apparatus.
At least one of the at least one of the cameras for taking the picture, a position of the at least one of the cameras, a focussing direction in which the at least one of the cameras is directed and focussed to take the picture, and a zooming degree of the at least one of the cameras may be changed in accordance with a proceeding of the time, while a recording of a combination of a data corresponding to, that is, identifying it (changed one or at least one of the at least one of the cameras, the position of the at least one of the cameras, the focussing direction, and the zooming degree) and the proceeding of the time as the condition data into the condition data memory device is controlled by the condition data recording controller.
The apparatus may further include a remote controller for determining at least one of a position of the at least one of the cameras taking the picture, a focussing direction in which the at least one of the cameras is directed and focussed to take the picture, a zooming degree of the at least one of the cameras, and which of the cameras is selected as the at least one of the cameras to take the picture. The at least one of the position of the at least one of the cameras taking the picture, the focussing direction in which the at least one of the cameras is directed and focussed to take the picture, the zooming degree of the at least one of the cameras, and which of the cameras is selected as the at least one of the cameras to take the picture may be included by the predetermined control instruction and be changed by the remote controller. The changed at least one of the position of the at least one of the cameras taking the picture, the focussing direction in which the at least one of the cameras is directed and focussed to take the picture, the zooming degree of the at least one of the cameras, and which of the cameras is selected as the at least one of the cameras to take the picture may be stored in the condition data memory device as the condition data. The remote controller is preferably arranged adjacent to the display.
The cameras may be electrically connected through a daisy-chain electric connection.
The condition data memory device may be prevented from being included by the claimed apparatus so that the condition data is transmitted out of the apparatus to the condition data memory device to be stored therein, or alternatively the condition data recording controller may include the condition data memory device as a part of the claimed apparatus.
The picture may be stored in the picture recorder which is prevented from being included by the claimed apparatus so that a data corresponding to, that is, identifying the picture is transmitted out of the apparatus to the picture recorder to be stored therein, or alternatively the picture recorder may be included by the claimed apparatus.
The claimed monitoring device may comprise a camera controller adapted to control a movement of each of the cameras, and a display controller adapted to control the at least one display to show thereon the picture taken by the at least one of the cameras selected by the operator or selected along a predetermined instruction for camera (including a set of sequential instructions for camera) to be monitored by the operator and adapted to control the picture recorder to record therein the picture, in addition to the condition data recording controller (claimed as a part of the apparatus) adapted to control the recording of the at least one of the condition data of the at least one of the cameras while taking the picture and the condition data of the display while showing the picture, into the condition data memory device.